Fountain type dispensing comb



Aug- 26, 1958 H. HEINRICH ET AL 2,849,009

FOUNTAIN TYPE DISPENSING COMB led Jan. 1'?, 1957 ORS M2M/d ||ililziiwmlil \m INVENT ig/fc L@ rra/PMS United Smiles Patent FOUNTAIN TYPE DISPENSING COMB Herbert Heinrich, Ridgewood, N. J., and Bertram Reibel, New York, N. Y., assignors to Coty, line., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application January 17, 1957, Serial No. 634,685 Claims. (Cl. 132-116) This invention relates to a fountain type dispensing comb. It is particularly useful in the application of dyes and `tints to the hair but it is obviously capable of use in other environments.

One of the deterrents in producing a satisfactory dispensing comb is the difculty in manufacturing it. A comb of this type should'have liquid flowing from substantially every tooth so as to secure substantially uniform distribution. It is also desirable to feed the liquid to the hair at the upper portions of the teeth so as to discourage the direct application ofthe liquid to the scalp itself. These objectives are not, of themselves, new. However, prior comb construction has been such as to make their realization most difficult.

With the foregoing in mind, we have devised a dispensing comb which operates most effectively but'which is of marked simplicity of construction rendering its manufacture most economical. The comb is capable of mass production, the major elements being produced on conventional molding machines and eliminating the necessity and difliculty of either molding elongated circular passages or subsequently boring such passages in a molded element.

The invention has other advantages which will be further understood from the following description and drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of4

a dispensing comb made according to the instant invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the two elements thereof, on a reduced scale;l

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view as taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged` cross-sectional view as taken along the line 4 4 of Figure l;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view as taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view as taken along the line 6--6 of Figure 3.

The comb with its dispensing passages is produced from two elements, these -comprising the comb back 10, and the comb body 11 which includes a series of teeth 12. Referring first to the back 10, its cross-sectional shape is in the form of an inverted U, the back being channel- :shaped as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Thus, it comprises the depending sides 13 and 14 connected by the bridge 15. The undersides of the side and bridge are substantially flat.

Integral with the back are the first and last teeth 16 and 17 although it is obvious that they may be integral with the comb body 11. Also integral with the back 10 is the intake nozzle 18 having internal threads 19 for receiving a container 20 of the liquid to be dispensed. Preferably, container 20 is a deformable plastic bottle which, when squeezed will direct a stream of liquid into the opening 21 of nozzle 18. Of course, an elongated tube may be suspended from the neck of container 20 as is employed in conventional atomizer construction, the

liquid feeding from the container to the tube and into opening 21. This is not illustrated since it is not considered part of this invention.

Communicating with opening 21 is a semi-circular concave groove 22 which extends to the center of the comb back 10. As will be shown hereinafter, semicircular groove 22 functions as one-half of a passage for distributing liquid along the upper vportion of the comb body 11.

Comb body 11 is formed with an upper portion or head 25 which has a substantially flat upper surface and flat sides as indicated in Figures 4 6. Along the upper surface, from the handle portion of the comb to about the center portion is formed a semi-circular groove 26 which mates with groove 22 in forming the mainliquid passage 27. Accordingly, passage 27 is circular, vbeing formed from two mating semi-circular grooves.

The sides of the comb body 11, at the head 25 thereof, is formed with elongated semi-circular grooves 28 and 29 respectively. Each such groove extends the complete length of the comb head 25 as illustrated in Figure 2. Although the composite passage 27 extends from the nozzle end of the comb to the center thereof, it does not communicate with either grooves 28 and 29 except at the extreme end of the composite groove 27 where liquid is fed into such grooves 28 and 29 through the centrally located perpendicular passage extensions 30 and 3l respectively. Accordingly, as will be observed in Figure 5, the liquid flows through passage 27 and branches off into two streams through extensions 30and 31 respectively which constitute a transverse passageway.

Each of the grooves 28 and 29 serve to feed a series of branches 32 which are disposed between comb teeth. Each groove feeds every other tooth, groove 28 feeding alternate teeth as illustrated in Figure 2 while groove 29 feeds alternate teeth through opposite branches 32 on the other side of the comb body, the branches on one side being staggered in relation to the branches 32 on the other side.

The foregoing construction not only expedites production but provides a dispensing comb of superior performance. The comb back 10 including the nozzle 18 is molded in one piece while the body 11 is molded as a separate piece. The underside of the bridging section 15 and the inner walls being at, the back 10 is cemented to the flat upper portion 25 of the comb back, the relationship being illustrated in Figure 4. By such simple assembly, the grooves 22 and 26 are caused to mate and form the main feeding passage 27 and at the same time communication to the side grooves 28 and 29 and thence to the alternate branches 32 is established. It will be observed that apart from the relatively large opening 21, it is unnecessary to mold complete passages since the transmission of liquid is effected through groove elements. It will be evident that such groove elements are far easier to mold than are fully enclosed passages.

In operating the comb, the container 20` is used .as a handle and is periodically squeezed in order to eject liquid therefrom. The liquid ows through the composite passage 27 directly to the centrally located passage extensions 30 and 31 as illustrated in Figure 5. From such passage extensions the liquid flows into the side grooves 28 and 29 where it is metered out to the branches 32 on either side of the comb body upper portion or head 25. The result thereof is to provide a substantially uniform application of the liquid along the length of the comb body.

There has been shown what are now considered preferred embodiments of the invention but it is obvious that numerous changes and omissions may be made without departing from its spirit.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing comb comprising a channel-shaped back, a comb body having an elongated head embraced by said back, said comb body having comb teeth and being formed with branch passageways to individual teeth, said head being formed with a groove section and said back being formed with a groove section both of which mate to produce a liquid feeding groove when the comb body is embraced by said back, means to provide communication between said branch passageways and said groove, and a liquid input nozzle on said back, said means to provide communication comprising a pair of elongated semi-circular grooves formed along the'length of the sides of said head, said semi-circular grooves being enclosed by the sides of said channel-shaped back, and a connecting transverse passageway formed between said liquid feeding groove and both of said semi-circular grooves.

2. A dispensing comb according to claim 1 and wherein said liquid input nozzle is formed at one end of said hack and is threaded to receive a liquid reservoir container, said liquid feeding groove extending from the input noz* zle end of said comb to approximately the center thereof, said transverse passageway being located across the center of the comb at the termination of said liquid feeding groove, said elongated, semi-circular grooves being formed from one end of said comb body head to the other, and said branch passageways being in a series which also extends from one end of the head to the other.

3. A dispensing comb according to claim 2 and wherein said back is of inverted U-shape with the undersides thereof substantially lat, said head having its sides as well as its top surface likewise flat and snugly embraced by and secured within said back, said semi-circular grooves being enclosed by the respective sides of the back and said branch passageways depending downwardly from said semi-circular grooves and being likewise enclosed by the sides of the back.

4. A dispensing comb according to claim 3 and wherein said branch passageways are formed in two series, one on each side of said head, each passageway of a series being staggered relative to the passageways of the other series and thereby feeding alternate teeth from opposite sides of said head.

5. A dispensing comb comprising a channel-shaped back, a comb body having an elongated head embraced by said back, a liquid input nozzle on said back, said comb body having comb teeth and being formed with branch passageways to individual teeth, said back being formed with a liquid feeding groove extending from said input nozzle to the center of the comb body, a connecting transverse passageway formed at the center of the comb body, at least one side of said comb body head being formed With elongated groove means extending substantially along the complete length of the comb body head and communicating with at least some of said branch passageways, said transverse passageway connecting said liquid feeding groove with said elongated groove means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,204,230 Abbate Nov. 7, 1916 2,062,376 Raymond Dec. l, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 149,570 Switzerland Nov. 16, 1931 

